Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Slow, slow, slow

I don't know why I am so slow to post. It's not like I'm not doing anything to post about. I think I am hung up on the photos--I just don't take any. I am working through my pile of to-do's. First up was a cover for my husband's leg pillow out of an old fleece throw--he has a bad back and feels best if his feet are elevated. The crummy thin poly cover was irritating and cold. The fleece is warm and cozy.

I also made cushions for a Shaker rocking chair. The chair is lovely--made from a kit by my husband about 30 years ago. Unfortunately, it is not very comfortable--very straight, hard back and stiff seat. So I used the rest of the shower curtain fabric (the brown flannel) and covered cushions--one for the seat and one for the back. So much more comfortable. And I coordinate with the chair when I wear my shirt!I finally finished the pullover-to-cardigan sweater refashion. What a project--took much longer than I thought it would. I had a couple of false starts. First, I was going to pick up stitches and knit on button bands and an edging. That was a disaster! Then I thought about knitting separate strips that could later be sewn on--that just didn't seem too appealing. Finally, I settled on crocheting an edging. The above photo shows the sweater before I zigzagged down the center, around the neck, and just above the ribbing on the bottom edge. I used Paton's Kroy sock yarn which just happened to be the same blend of wool and nylon as the sweater. Below is the finished sweater! The crocheting took forever--I am not an expert crocheter and am slow. I thought I'd never finish. Once the crocheting was done, I blocked the edging so the sweater wouldn't look bunchy. Then, I finished it off with grosgrain ribbon over the picked up stitches to give a nice and neat inside appearance (See below). I sewed on buttons that had been in my stash for about 12 years and called it a day. I am very happy with the end result and should get lots of wear out of the "new" sweater.I gave up on an unfinished shirt project. I redrafted the sleeves and reset them--they were fine. But the shirt is just plain too small. And I am out of fabric. Arrgh. I love sewing, but I hate fitting. Has anyone used Petite Plus Patterns? They sound wonderful and seem like they would fit me. I'm dithering about buying one or two.

In other news, we--I, my husband, son, and daughter--seem to finally have kicked the plague-like cold we had. Seems we were sick forever. We are having better weather which makes us feel better emotionally anyway! But winter in Albany is fickle--some days it is nice, sunny, and warmish--other days it is so cold and windy that my teeth ache when I go outside. I am so looking forward to spring.